In the manufacture of article such as cups of expanded thermoplastic material, it is essential to handle the cups during the manufacturing operation and to accurately deliver the cups at very high speeds and at predetermined time intervals to apparatus such as inspecting apparatus. The cup dispensing apparatus must operate smoothly and accurately without marking or adversely affecting the cups and should preferably be adjustable to accommodate cups of varying diameters.
Accordingly among the objectives of the present invention are to provide an automatic cup dispensing apparatus which will dispense the cups at high speeds and at predetermined intervals without affecting or marring the cups and which can be readily adjusted to accommodate cups of varying diameters.
In accordance with the invention, the automatic cup dispenser for dispensing cups at high speeds and at predetermined intervals from a stack of cups comprises a plurality of opposed pairs of rotors mounted for rotation about vertical axes, and supported in positions such that the upper end of each rotor engages the lip of the lowermost cup in the stack. Each rotor has a helical groove in the periphery thereof for engaging the lip of the lowermost cup and guiding the cup downwardly, the helical grooves of adjacent rotor extending oppositely. Adjacent rotors are driven in alternate directions. The length of each groove is such that on rotation of the rotors, the lip of the lowermost cup is engaged and moved downwardly out of the stack while the remainder of the cups in the stack are held in position by a shoulder on the rotor.